Laide Raheem, Abeokuta and Gabriel Dike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Lagos Zone, has warned the Federal Government to shelve its plans to reopen tertiary institutions shut due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic or face negative consequences.
The coordinator, Prof. Olusiji Sowande, gave the warning at a press conference, after a meeting at Olabisi Onababjo University, Ago-Iwoye, yesterday.
He said reopening of tertiary institutions without taking concrete steps to address issues within the universities would be suicidal.
Sowande said, the response of public universities to the call by National University Commission for their readiness to reopen indicated that they are not yet ready
“Presently, hostel accommodations are inadequate, no facility on ground to carry out physical distancing in large crowded classes, water and electricity supply are not reliable.
“Reopening tertiary institutions without taking concrete steps to address these issues would be suicidal. While government made arrangements for special bail out funds for airline operators and other private entities, no such arrangement was made for public universities”.
“Therefore, government should be ready to take responsibility for any possible negative consequences after reopening of universities”.
While maintaining that it is not enough to have the students back on campuses, Sowande noted that the atmosphere and conditions must also be right.
However, the Special Visitation Panel constituted by the Federal Government to probe the recent crisis at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) commenced sitting yesterday.
The seven-man panel is headed by Prof. Tukur Sa’ad.
Before the commencement of the sitting, the panel asked for memoranda from the unions and stakeholders and by 2pm, the box containing the submitted memoranda was emptied and taken into the Council Chambers.
Armed policemen from Sabo Police Station and UNILAG security personnel were seen at the venue of the panel sitting.
Kehinde Ajibade, a member of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) UNILAG branch, told Daily Sun that the union would submit its memorandum to the panel.
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) UNILAG branch, Dr. Dele Ashiru, said the union has submitted its memorandum.
The panel would sit in camera and is expected to invite parties to the crisis and other stakeholders to testify before it or clarify some of the contending issues.